And just my Madden input - I won the Superbowl with Kaepernick after Alex was lost for the season week 16. Not that this means anything (Alex had 46 TDs at that point), but I can dream. Also, Brooks broke the sack record with 23. Maybe this bodes well for Aldon.

funny i broke the record with Brooks too(23).

I won 3 straight with Alex and then started Kaep and won the 4th in a row then signed Andrew Luck and my PS3 got the YLOD

If you had looked at power rankings earlier in the year, many people considered us a top 2 team in the NFL for several weeks. So, yeah, there are people who thought we were Superbowl-caliber even with Alex. Maybe you didn't think we could win with Alex, but that's not the consensus.

Now, how many people actually believe we're a top 2 team in the NFL, with Kaepernick? Look at the power rankings... we're not there anymore.

On NFL.com, the last time we were ranked #2 was Week 6 before the Giants game. After that, until Alex got injured, we were ranked #4. After Alex left, we were ranked #3 after both the Bears and Saints games. Now we're ranked #5. Not being #2 has nothing to do with Alex Smith.

On ESPN.com, the last time we were ranked in the top 2 was Week 3 after the Lions game (we were ranked first). When Alex was injured, we were ranked #4. After that we were ranked as high as #3 after the Bears game. Now we're currently ranked #4. Not being #2 has nothing to do with Alex Smith.

On FoxSports, the last time we were ranked in the top 2 was actually Week 13, after the Saints game when we were ranked #1. Before that it was Week 3 after the Lions game. When Alex was injured, we were ranked #5. Currently we're ranked #3. Not being #2 has nothing to do with Alex Smith.

Those are the only 3 I found that allow you to check every week, but I'd be shocked to find anything different, considering power rankings doesn't suggest who is going to play for the Superbowl, it suggests who is hottest that particular week. Naturally teams that haven't lost often (Falcons/Texans) were routinely going to be up there after the Giants game.

I think regardless of QB, we're a Superbowl contender. My reservation remains on whether or not a risky Kaepernick play is going to win or lose our chance at it, because I believe that's what it will all come down to.

My point wasn't that power rankings mean a whole lot. Just that by being in top 2 at any point does indicate that there are people who could imagine us at least playing the superbowl with Alex. It's simply not true that no one thinks Alex could win the superbowl. Plenty of people do, enough for a few people who get paid to make stupid things like power rankings (wait, I have a power ranking in my sig...) to express the opinion that the 49ers were a top 2 team in the NFL. It doesn't matter how we ranked after week 6, it doesn't invalidate my statement._________________

My point wasn't that power rankings mean a whole lot. Just that by being in top 2 at any point does indicate that there are people who could imagine us at least playing the superbowl with Alex. It's simply not true that no one thinks Alex could win the superbowl. Plenty of people do, enough for a few people who get paid to make stupid things like power rankings (wait, I have a power ranking in my sig...) to express the opinion that the 49ers were a top 2 team in the NFL. It doesn't matter how we ranked after week 6, it doesn't invalidate my statement.

And my point is - no. That's not what being ranked #2 meant. It meant for that particular week(s), we were seen as one of the top two performing teams in the league. And not being there now has nothing to say about how teams feel about Kaepernick getting there (especially when considering 1, 2, and 3 at times are the Patriots, Broncos, and Texans).

I'm not saying people couldn't imagine the team winning a Superbowl with Alex, just saying power rankings have absolutely nothing to do with proving that. Clearly it shouldn't be hard to imagine considering we were one botched punt away from trying last year, and we're clearly a better team this year._________________

And just my Madden input - I won the Superbowl with Kaepernick after Alex was lost for the season week 16. Not that this means anything (Alex had 46 TDs at that point), but I can dream. Also, Brooks broke the sack record with 23. Maybe this bodes well for Aldon.

funny i broke the record with Brooks too(23).

I won 3 straight with Alex and then started Kaep and won the 4th in a row then signed Andrew Luck and my PS3 got the YLOD

ill try this today, i mean i have nothing to lose in doing so, it's not working now and im not taking it apart so hopefully it works so i dont need to buy another one. it is 5 years old so it was a good soldier_________________

NextBigThing wrote:

rice wasn't close to do as good as his stats would lead one to assume

okie dokie!!! He only had 1200 rec yards at 40, but he clearly isnt as good as it appears.

My point wasn't that power rankings mean a whole lot. Just that by being in top 2 at any point does indicate that there are people who could imagine us at least playing the superbowl with Alex. It's simply not true that no one thinks Alex could win the superbowl. Plenty of people do, enough for a few people who get paid to make stupid things like power rankings (wait, I have a power ranking in my sig...) to express the opinion that the 49ers were a top 2 team in the NFL. It doesn't matter how we ranked after week 6, it doesn't invalidate my statement.

And my point is - no. That's not what being ranked #2 meant. It meant for that particular week(s), we were seen as one of the top two performing teams in the league. And not being there now has nothing to say about how teams feel about Kaepernick getting there (especially when considering 1, 2, and 3 at times are the Patriots, Broncos, and Texans).

I'm not saying people couldn't imagine the team winning a Superbowl with Alex, just saying power rankings have absolutely nothing to do with proving that. Clearly it shouldn't be hard to imagine considering we were one botched punt away from trying last year, and we're clearly a better team this year.

I'm not saying power rankings prove that people thought we'd win the superbowl, just that it's an indication that some people thought we could do it. You said it yourself, it's not hard to imagine. I was only answering to Steady who still stubbornly couldn't imagine us winning with Alex, in spite of what lots of people thought. Power rankings is just one indication that some people took the idea of us winning with Alex seriously. And I can't imagine anyone serious, making a power ranking, doing it without thinking about the Superbowl. When the pats lost to the cardinals, they didn't drop to 25th in the power ranking, because the guy making the power ranking still had them as a serious option for the superbowl. That's what a power ranking is. It reflects what one feels the odds are for winning the title. Otherwise, all one would have to do is check the boxscore to figure who played better for that particular week.

Now, what of the "experts" who had us as superbowl favorites, long before Kap was even in the conversation? Are they not indications that some people thought we could win with Alex? I think there are as much, if not much more, people who believed we were contenders even with Alex than there are people, like steady, who never thought we could do it with Alex (an opinion he strangely didn't have after the saints game in the playoffs, probably due to the thrill of victory, dopamine helping). My point was and is simply this: it was ridiculous to dismiss our chances of winning with Alex. That's all._________________

My point wasn't that power rankings mean a whole lot. Just that by being in top 2 at any point does indicate that there are people who could imagine us at least playing the superbowl with Alex. It's simply not true that no one thinks Alex could win the superbowl. Plenty of people do, enough for a few people who get paid to make stupid things like power rankings (wait, I have a power ranking in my sig...) to express the opinion that the 49ers were a top 2 team in the NFL. It doesn't matter how we ranked after week 6, it doesn't invalidate my statement.

And my point is - no. That's not what being ranked #2 meant. It meant for that particular week(s), we were seen as one of the top two performing teams in the league. And not being there now has nothing to say about how teams feel about Kaepernick getting there (especially when considering 1, 2, and 3 at times are the Patriots, Broncos, and Texans).

I'm not saying people couldn't imagine the team winning a Superbowl with Alex, just saying power rankings have absolutely nothing to do with proving that. Clearly it shouldn't be hard to imagine considering we were one botched punt away from trying last year, and we're clearly a better team this year.

I'm not saying power rankings prove that people thought we'd win the superbowl, just that it's an indication that some people thought we could do it. You said it yourself, it's not hard to imagine. I was only answering to Steady who still stubbornly couldn't imagine us winning with Alex, in spite of what lots of people thought. Power rankings is just one indication that some people took the idea of us winning with Alex seriously. And I can't imagine anyone serious, making a power ranking, doing it without thinking about the Superbowl. When the pats lost to the cardinals, they didn't drop to 25th in the power ranking, because the guy making the power ranking still had them as a serious option for the superbowl. That's what a power ranking is. It reflects what one feels the odds are for winning the title. Otherwise, all one would have to do is check the boxscore to figure who played better for that particular week.

Now, what of the "experts" who had us as superbowl favorites, long before Kap was even in the conversation? Are they not indications that some people thought we could win with Alex? I think there are as much, if not much more, people who believed we were contenders even with Alex than there are people, like steady, who never thought we could do it with Alex (an opinion he strangely didn't have after the saints game in the playoffs, probably due to the thrill of victory, dopamine helping). My point was and is simply this: it was ridiculous to dismiss our chances of winning with Alex. That's all.

I agree that we were always considered contenders, just don't agree with the power rankings conversation. Considering the Cardinals were once considered a top 3 team by those standards. Again, just indicates how well a team is playing at the current time._________________

I think that although we have been top5 in power rankings, Many people feel/felt IF we won the superbowl it wasnt BECAUSE of Alex smith. Here in Vegas the local radio power ranking from a betting perspective often talk about the 9ers and our title shot. many of the "experts" and line makers have us still as a title contender with Kap. One thing that really stuck out in some of these talk shoes with the line makers here was when we were courting Peyton, because they had us as the odds on favorites to win with him because there was a QB who could "win" games for us and not just ride the "coattails of the defense"._________________

Power rankings are stupid. They are someones opinion of the league its not the end all be all._________________
Thanks to IDOG_det on the sig!
2011 & 2012 NFC West Champs!!!
Xbox: Steadypimpin49
"Keep choppin' wood"

The 49ers ran 17 plays from the bug eye formation
The 49ers ran 13 plays from traditional shotgun
The 49ers 23 plays with Kaepernick under center
The 49ers ran zero traditional pistol formations (featuring a running back behind the QB, but no other running backs)
The 49ers ran three plays in the victory formation

The 49ers ran 17 plays from the bug eye formation
The 49ers ran 13 plays from traditional shotgun
The 49ers 23 plays with Kaepernick under center
The 49ers ran zero traditional pistol formations (featuring a running back behind the QB, but no other running backs)
The 49ers ran three plays in the victory formation

Seems like Harbaugh is trying out his new wrinkles to be ready for the playoffs. Let's hope he goes the more traditional route against the Pats and Seahawks._________________

The 49ers ran 17 plays from the bug eye formation
The 49ers ran 13 plays from traditional shotgun
The 49ers 23 plays with Kaepernick under center
The 49ers ran zero traditional pistol formations (featuring a running back behind the QB, but no other running backs)
The 49ers ran three plays in the victory formation

Seems like Harbaugh is trying out his new wrinkles to be ready for the playoffs. Let's hope he goes the more traditional route against the Pats and Seahawks.

I'd go all-out playaction against the Seahawks. Against the Pats, it should be more conservative. Hopefully we can work some screen plays to James into the gameplan. We need high-percentage plays and keep the ball in play._________________

The 49ers ran 17 plays from the bug eye formation
The 49ers ran 13 plays from traditional shotgun
The 49ers 23 plays with Kaepernick under center
The 49ers ran zero traditional pistol formations (featuring a running back behind the QB, but no other running backs)
The 49ers ran three plays in the victory formation

The Sooners have used the 'diamond' formation for a couple of years now, particularly in the 'Bell-dozer' package...another plus for drafting Trey Millard if he declares (I believe he is a Jr., but I could be wrong...)._________________fa·nat·ic (f-ntk)
A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.
Draft wishes:1st-Beckham/Cooks,Fuller/Verrett;2nd-T. Murphy,Moncrief,Su'a-Filo,M. Smith;3rd-Abbrederis,Ben Gardner,J.Watkins,T. Reilly...

The 49ers ran 17 plays from the bug eye formation
The 49ers ran 13 plays from traditional shotgun
The 49ers 23 plays with Kaepernick under center
The 49ers ran zero traditional pistol formations (featuring a running back behind the QB, but no other running backs)
The 49ers ran three plays in the victory formation

Seems like Harbaugh is trying out his new wrinkles to be ready for the playoffs. Let's hope he goes the more traditional route against the Pats and Seahawks.

I'd go all-out playaction against the Seahawks. Against the Pats, it should be more conservative. Hopefully we can work some screen plays to James into the gameplan. We need high-percentage plays and keep the ball in play.

What worried me about the Pats is that they were able to give Schaub fits, and confused him at times. Let's hope Kaep improves on his reads this week._________________

The 49ers ran 17 plays from the bug eye formation
The 49ers ran 13 plays from traditional shotgun
The 49ers 23 plays with Kaepernick under center
The 49ers ran zero traditional pistol formations (featuring a running back behind the QB, but no other running backs)
The 49ers ran three plays in the victory formation

Cant wait to use this formation in madden next year

I'm going to assume the 49ers and Redskins play books are going to be the most fun to use.